My Friend, My Girlfriend
by GrimGrave
Summary: The prequel to "My Classmate, My Lover." "…Lovers? the dark-haired girl mused. Looks like it. Must be fun having that sort of company when you're going out." The short tale of two young hearts, complete opposites, gradually entwining their red strings of Fate. Rated M for mature themes and occasional language.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own the characters in this story; the characters and Hyakko belongs to the creator Haruaki Katō. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

The prequel to _"My Classmate, My Lover."_

**My Friend, My Girlfriend**

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Over a Cup of Coffee**_

_´So loud…´_ a teenage girl with raven-shaded hair thought to herself, her dark coloured eyes shifting from her textbook to her friends and their antics – nothing unusual going on. She watched with mild interest as her class-president (a well-known bisexual) making her moves on her blonde friend and troublemaker whom desperately escaped her grasp. As custom, her friend would make a ruckus about it, dragging nearby classmates into her dilemma as the lust-struck redhead of a class-president pursued her.

_´Always so loud,´ _she thought, returning her attention towards her textbook. It was difficult to concentrate, but their homeroom teacher would soon be back. Then again, extra time to go through notes was always welcome –

"Hey, Tatsuki-chan!"

The dark-haired girl looked up from her book to see the aforementioned blonde grinning sheepishly at her, no longer pursued by their pervert of a class-president (then again, it _had_ gone unusually quiet just a moment ago). "What is it?"

"Wanna hang out after school today? Me, Suzu, and Ayu-chan are going for some karaoke! Want to tag along"?

Ugh. _´I rather not let another day go to waste because of your knack for tomfoolery…´ _"No thank you, Torako-san. I have other plans," she said plainly. The blonde, Torako, pouted at her but eventually left her alone to bother someone else – some glasses-wearing brunette – thus allowing Tatsuki to yet again go through her notes.

_´Everyday with this… She's a handful just by being with here at school,´ _she sighed.

She was starting to feel weary. The day was finally taking its toll on her, and she would surely fall asleep earlier than she would like to.

_´I really should stop by the café on the way home…´_

* * *

Tatsuki chuckled and commended herself for coming up with the idea. Further down the main road, not far from Kamizono Academy, was the popular _"Trickstar Café", _a local café that had the best coffee around (in her opinion). It wasn't too crowded, and with a clay mug of the rich and energizing beverage at her side, Tatsuki could finally study a little extra in peace. She took another sip of the now lukewarm coffee; she felt revitalized, comforted, and focused again.

_´Much better,´_ she thought, _´Now I should be able to cover most of our homework by tomorrow, and then finish it by Wednesday… So unless we're getting any new assignments then I should have the weekend clear.´_

Tatsuki smiled and arched her back in an attempt to loosen up stiffness – how long had she been sitting anyway? Apparently a while: there were more patrons sitting outside than when she had first arrived; she hadn't even finished her coffee yet. Feeling satisfied with her, Tatsuki merely sipped on her coffee and peered around.

Every table was occupied by at least one patron, though most had two of them.

Most of them were even holding hands.

_´…Lovers?´ _the dark-haired girl mused. _´Looks like it. Must be fun having that sort of company when you're going out.´_

The people around her were compelling to watch; they laughed, talked, and smiled, seemingly having a good time as they went on about anything. It was interesting to listen to lovers' conversations, if only because it gave Tatsuki a glimpse into what relationships were like – she could vaguely hear some guy mention something about an ordeal with friends, a woman talking about clothes, while others were simply talking sweetly to one another.

She sighed again, musing, _´I wonder if having a significant other really is that joyous as they make it out to be…´_

"Huh? Tatsuki?"

Hearing her name the dark-haired teen looked up, equally surprised to find one of her classmates here – there usually weren't any from _her_ class at this café. "Oh, good afternoon Makunouchi-san."

Ushio Makunouchi was yet another classmate that had somehow got tangled up in Torako's web of pranks and mischief and the two had been hanging out for a little while. She had been branded as a delinquent and a "punk" by most people but she seemed somewhat harmless if Tatsuki had a say on the matter.

The dirt-blonde, tomboyish classmate of hers eyed her with a hint of confusion but seemed to have shrugged off whatever it was. "Good thing you were here then. Do you know if they have any good tea here?"

Tatsuki averted her eyes as she pondered for a moment. She lightly shrugged with an apologetic look. "I wouldn't know. I always order coffee, which I recommend."

Ushio grimaced. "Tch. I don't drink coffee. Do they have soda?"

Another shrug. "I don't think so."

"Fuck. Guess I'll have to find out then… Hey, you won't mind if I sit here, will you?"

"It's a free country," Tatsuki replied, watching Ushio disappear inside.

_´Peculiar…´_ She shrugged.

A few minutes later with still half her mug of coffee left, the tomboy returned and put down a clear glass on the table. "I'm fucking saved. They had ice-tea."

_´She seems to have the verbal manners of a delinquent though…´ _Tatsuki mused. "I come by here often, but I don't recall ever seeing you here, Makunouchi-san."

The dirt-blonde immediately eyed her with mild discontent. "Yeah, so? What about that? I was just taking another way home this time. I've heard about this place so I decided to check it out." She drank of her ice-tea, sighing with content when she put the glass back down. "Honestly, that fucking Torako…"

_´Kageyama-san?´ _"What about her?"

Ushio let out a short groan. She was running a hand through her dirt-blonde tresses. "Tch, might as well tell you since I decided to sit myself down at your table… She was bothering me during class about some fucking-"

"-karaoke?" Tatsuki finished, forced to stifle the urge to chuckle as Ushio slowly nodded with an uncertain look in her eyes.

"Yeah… That's it. How did you know?"

The raven-haired girl couldn't help but to smile. "She was bothering me about the same thing. In fact, I may be indirectly responsible for your irritation." Her smile faltered. "I do apologize."

"Don't bother. She probably would've come see me either way. I've noticed she has a tendency for that. Tch, fucking hell…"

"She's a handful to say the least," Tatsuki replied with a regained smile. "When we first started, she jumped out of the second floor and immediately dragged us along in order to find our classroom… She hasn't left me alone since. And Ayu-chan seems to just go along with it…"

Ushio slurped her ice-tea, her glass now half empty (or was it half full?) as she put it down and eyed her raven-haired classmate. "…I can't tell if you're exaggerating or if you're being serious. Then again, it is _Torako_ we're talking about…"

When Ushio chuckled at the fact, Tatsuki couldn't help but to chuckle in response; and the more they thought about their classmate's irrational behaviour, they laughed even more. It was to the point that other patrons were throwing curious glances in their direction. "I feel sorry for you then, Tatsuki. On the first day of school of all days…"

The dark-haired girl smiled. "Indeed. At least you had an extra day without her." The duo began laughing again, a bit softer this time but still earning the attention of fellow patrons. Their laughter slowly died down and they each took a sip of their beverages to calm themselves.

After a brief moment of silence, Tatsuki looked back at her classmate with a smile. "You know, Makunouchi-san… I know we've never spent time together, but I must admit that I'm enjoying your company."

The dirt-blonde guffawed. "I'm a bit surprised as well, but I ain't complaining. It feels good to have someone to just nag to about shit, y´know."

"Not the words I would choose, but yes," Tatsuki said. "Say, would it be alright with you if we met up like this again? I prefer not to have to loiter around Kageyama-san…I do more than enough of that at school."

"The feeling is mutual, so sure." She grinned. "So get this – remember when she skipped classes that time? She was actually following me around and forcing me into this karaoke-bar…"

As time went by, the duo shared their stories about their common nuisance of a classmate (and occasionally their class-president) laughing and (in Ushio's case) cracking doltish jokes.

Strange as it may have been, their enjoyment of each other's company ended up with exchanged numbers, and a promise to meet up at the coffee-shop in the future.

* * *

The next day, Tatsuki was strolling back to school in a sour mood. It was always like this nowadays: ever since her classmate had decided them to be friends, her school-days – which was supposed to be used for learning – had worn her out with the too high-spirited Torako Kageyama.

Making her way through the gates and past the corridors she silently prayed and hoped that she could at least avoid her self-proclaimed "friend" until at least first period.

"_Taaaaaaat-chaaaaaan!"_

Of course not. What a foolish thought it had been.

She didn't even bother getting out of the way as the troublemaker crashed into her, arms flung around a slender waist, and knocked her onto the floor with a heavy _**´thud´**_. "Good morning!"

"It was until now…" the raven-haired teen muttered, rubbing the back of her skull. "And get off me."

"Alright, alright," Torako replied and got up, offering her hand to help Tatsuki up. "You're not a morning person, are you, Tat-chan?"

_´Being tackled to the ground has nothing to do with being a morning person or not!´_

"T-Torako-san…" Ayumi – the shy friend of the bunch – began. "M-Maybe you shouldn't actually jump into people…"

"You think? But it makes for a much more energetic greeting, don't you think?"

Tatsuki rubbed her temples. This would be a very long and taxing day.

* * *

The day had gone by as per usual: the aprocot-haired troublemaker had once again been up to some "innocent" tomfoolery which had almost dragged Tatsuki with her had the latter not, by a fluke, managed to avoid her. The same couldn't be said for their blonde and, more timid, friend.

Nene, their class-president, had fortunately been chasing skirts in the other classes, sparing her classmates the trouble and annoyance of having a pervert breathing down their necks. Just an ordinary (weird how she had already gotten used to this routine) day.

Except…

Ushio hadn't been present today.

Granted, that girl had already showed a habit of skipping classes, but still…

Tatsuki had – if she was completely honest with herself – been looking forward to the tomboy's company, if only a little, for it meant that she not only could vent out her frustration that was some of their classmates, but it was someone who knew _exactly_ how she felt.

Regardless, she followed the road until she reached the small plaza. There weren't that many people out today either, which was a relief. Hopefully the café would be the same. The dark-haired teen made her way to the café, immediately spotting a dirty-blonde-haired girl already sitting alone at a table, sipping ice-tea without a care in the world.

She wouldn't understand why until much later, but a small shed of anger sparked within her as she trotted over to the table, ocean-blue orbs meeting hazel ones.

"You skipped school today."

A nod. "Sure did."

"It won't help your grades," Tatsuki continued. "And you eventually have to go back, bothersome Kageyama-san or not."

"_Tch!"_ came the reply, a flash of aggravation in Ushio's eyes, her eyebrows knitted together in annoyance as she scowled. "Who are you, my mom? I just didn't feel like going today."

Tatsuki sighed. "I'm not going to tell you what you can't and can do. But it's a wasted opportunity if you're just going to skip classes." She put her schoolbag on the table. "I'll buy some coffee. You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

Whatever puzzlement Ushio first had was quickly gone as she allowed a small grin. "It's a free country."

(Break)

"Was she a pain in the ass today as well?"

Tatsuki gently sipped her warm coffee. "Not my choice of words but yes, she was rather bothersome today." It was odd: she had never been one to make friends, except a few that she had lost contact with-but sitting here and just engage with _Ushio_, the delinquent, of all people in a conversation like this was rather… _Pleasant_.

"Why am I not surprised?" came the dry reply before said delinquent slurped some ice-tea. "She's way too lively…"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Agreed."

The teenagers went silent, keeping to themselves mentally.

Ushio took a hefty swig of what little remained of her ice-tea and slammed the glass down. She earned a startled look from Tatsuki, but merely stared back, shifting her gaze between the classmate and the drink in her hands.

"…How can you drink that shit?"

The black-haired girl arched an eyebrow neatly. "I happen to find _coffee_ to be rather nice. You should try it – it'll give you a boost for the day, too."

"I don't fucking want to drink it," Ushio said with a scoff. "Smells bitter."

"I suppose it's an acquired taste."

"Then I gladly never acquire it," the tomboy said with a grimace. "Really smells fucking bitter."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes at the statement. "It'll help you focus on studies as well, I've noticed."

"I'd rather focus on homework and tests to _avoid_ having to drink that. Tch! It's not like it would help anyway, I just can't seem to understand anything!"

_´She's having trouble studying?´_ Tatsuki mused. An idea came quickly to mind – one that she dismissed at first for its absurd nature – but seeing the "delinquent" actually come clean with that she had trouble begged the question: was she viewed as a delinquent because, in other's eyes, she _looked like_ she didn't care about studying when in reality she just had problems with concentration?

Despite her inner voice telling her not to bother, the raven-haired girl put down her cup and asked sincerely, "How about I'll help you with your studies then, Makunouchi-san?"

She was earned with hazel eyes widening, and a puzzled expression, mouth ajar. "…Huh?"

"I can help you with your studies, Makunouchi-san. I understand that some subjects can be difficult to grasp so, if you want, I'll help you." It was strange: she, who preferred solitude, was not offering help to someone she barely knew.

Yet, she was glad that she did, judging by the slight grin that the dirt-blonde attempted to hide. "Tch. Helping me, huh?" She scoffed. "I guess it _would_ be good to better my grades a bit…"

Tatsuki felt a smile tug the corners of her lips. "So you'll accept?"

There was a brief pause. "Heh, yeah I suppose. Might as well give it a shot," Ushio replied. "But in return, I'll teach you something about kicking back every now and then."

_´What does she mean by that…?´_ "Very well, that's agreeable terms."

"Great," the dirt-blonde said with a slight smirk. "Shall we exchange numbers then?"

And so they did. With a steady form of contact, the two friends had taken an unsuspecting step towards something beyond friendship.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_Feedback is much appreciated. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own the characters in this story; the characters and Hyakko belongs to the creator Haruaki Katō. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing fiction.

_I really waited with this one, didn't I?_

**My Friend, My Girlfriend**

_Chapter 2_

_**From Joy to Turmoil in One Afternoon**_

A couple of weeks passed since that day at the café. The two young girls had exchanged numbers and regularly texted each other – either small talking about how certain classmates were troublesome or Tatsuki giving a few helpful tips regarding homework – and the two had steadily spent more and more time together.

They would sit together and chit-chat in between periods, eat lunch, and more often than not go to the café again.

They came to consider each other close friends.

"Oi, Tatsuki," the tomboy exclaimed as she approached the bluette, her bag slung over her shoulder as the last period ended. "You free today?"

"I have nothing planned for today, no," Tatsuki replied as she stacked her papers neatly before putting them in her schoolbag. "Did you perhaps need help with homework again?"

"Yeah, I can't wrap my head around our History and English assignments…" Ushio said with a frown and rolled her eyes. "If it's not too much trouble; I can't understand shit."

"No trouble," the bluette replied, having grown accustomed to her new friend's crude vocabulary. "How about accompanying me home? It would be easier to help you that way."

The dirt-blonde arched an eyebrow, mulling it over. It was true; usually they stayed behind in their classroom and went over things real quick, or they stopped by the café again, but it was always for a short while only and only one subject to focus on. It would be better to have somewhere where you could focus and relax without distractions, and the café wasn't exactly private or comfortable for extended periods of time.

"Sure, whatever," she finally said. "But can we swing by the café on the way?"

Tatsuki smiled. "Gladly. I was in the mood for coffee anyway—"

"What's this I hear about a study session?!" The girls shuddered. The flamboyant, redheaded class-president – infamous skirt-chaser and self-proclaimed bisexual – was looming over the girls with an exaggeratedly somber expression. "While I wasn't looking, you two have developed a friendship and even going as far as having private study sessions?!" She placed her hand over her breast. "My heart weeps for being left out of this beautiful growth, but it is not too late! As the class-president, I will join you and watch over our study-circle—!"

"Get lost, Nene," the tomboy retorted. Her hazel eyes were narrowed as she glared daggers at the unwelcome redhead. "It's not like you actually need help, fucking skirt-chaser."

Nene feigned a hurtful expression and struck an overly-dramatic pose as if she was about to faint. "How cruel of you, Makunouchi, to label me with such crude and misleading words! I merely want to ensure that my classmates—!"

"Can we get out of here, Tatsuki?"

"Gladly," the bluette replied as she followed Ushio out of the classroom, ignoring their class-president.

"Oh? Makunouchi, are we already on first-name basis?" Nene gleefully commented behind them. "Don't tell me you've already gotten that far—"

"**Shut up!"**

_**/**_

"Huh. Nice place you've got."

"Thank you," Tatsuki replied curtly. Setting their purchased coffee and ice-tea on the low wooden table, the daughter of the household went immediately on fetching additional notebooks and gesturing for her guest to make herself at home.

Ushio looked around her: the whole room was covered with a pinkish-red carpet, and the furniture (a bed, the table, a desk, a shelf, and a drawer) were simple in style, and the room itself was spacious enough to accommodate more than one person. Two large windows allowed sunlight to be filtered in.

"This whole house is pretty big, too," Ushio continued. "Your family must be rich, but your mother didn't look like –"

"That was our maid and housekeeper," the bluette interrupted. "And yes, I suppose my family is rather wealthy, mostly due to my grandfather." She placed the notebooks and other books on the table before taking her seat and pushed a handful of them towards the tomboy. "It was English and History, correct? These books should be a good place to start then."

The guest grimaced and sipped her ice-tea. "You've got to be kidding me… This will take hours!"

"You're not supposed to read each and every page, Makunouchi. I marked the pages earlier when I was working with our assignments."

The dirt-blonde furrowed her brow. "You're already done? What the hell!"

"I finished them yesterday, so I'm merely reading ahead. Don't worry, it's not that many pages, and I'm here if you have any questions." Tatsuki tucked away a few locks behind her ear, eyes already glued to the textbook in front of her.

Ushio furrowed her brow at the girl but forced herself to begin reading.

…

Tch, what was good with English and History anyway? She'd never need to use English, and history didn't interest her.

Then again, it wouldn't look good if she had failed two subjects. So she stuck with reading.

…

Ushio sipped on her ice-tea. She was two pages in and already was she bored! Why was she even doing this?!

One peek to the right answered that; the well-behaved, smart girl with dark-blue hair was helping her. No-one had forced Ushio to do this, it was an offer of help and she had accepted it. The least the dirt-blonde could do was to try to make an effort.

Besides, she liked this girl. Despite their differences the two had some things in common, and Tatsuki didn't treat the tomboy any differently as some other people did. She always studied and was the kind of girl Ushio normally wouldn't want to socialize with, but… something clicked between them. And if Ushio could get a little help to improve her grades, then that's all the better.

But surely it wouldn't be fair if the bluette was the only one helping.

"Hey, Tatsuki." She didn't know why she said it or how she had come up with the idea, but the words left her lips without much thought put behind them. "You know, you should learn how to kick back and relax a little bit more."

The blue-haired girl arched an eyebrow, puzzled. "…What do you mean?"

"You're always studying and shit… I mean, don't you ever just kick back and relax?" the dirt-blonde asked. "I get the impression that you don't do much with your free time."

Tatsuki glowered. "I'll have you know that I read novels on my spare time, Makunouchi-san."

Ushio suppressed the urge to laugh and rolled her eyes. "That's not what I mean. Have you never even ditched a class and spent the day just doing whatever you want? Actually, don't answer that."

The bluette crossed her arms. "And why would I do something like that?"

"Hey, with your perfect attendance-score you can afford one day or two." She stroked her chin thoughtfully and her lips curved neatly into a smirk. "Hey, that's not a bad idea. Why not ditch class with me tomorrow?"

Tatsuki scowled, her eyebrows knitting together as she did and reprimanded, "Makunouchi-san! That's out of the question; we cannot, and shall not, skip any classes for the sake of _"kicking back and relax"_!"

"Calm down, Tatsuki," Ushio held up her hands defensively. "I'm not saying that you should make a habit out of it. In my case, the teachers won't care, and you could always come up with an excuse as to why you didn't show up." She managed a small but noticeable grin. "Even you get sick every now and then, right?"

"Yes, but –!"

"And don't forget," the blonde quickly added without missing a beat. "You did agree to let me teach you how to properly relax. You're not going back on your word, are you?"

The bluette glared daggers, but didn't reply. There was a sigh, a grumble, and her expression softened. "I… I did say that. And I don't intend on going back on my word. But just skipping classes –"

"It's just once in a while, Tatsuki. Your grades won't suffer from it. Besides, should anything happen like, you're busted or whatever, _I'll_ take the blame."

Tatsuki was quiet. She eyed the blonde disapprovingly but the latter did have a point; if it was just once or twice, Tatsuki could easily catch up with her studies. And if Ushio was willing to take the blame in the scenario that they would be found out, then she might be let off with a simple warning.

And if the bluette was honest, the thought of taking a day off and not having to think about school did sound rather pleasant if it meant she could spend that time with Ushio instead…

Wait, what? Why was that suddenly the most convincing argument in her head? But then, why wouldn't she hang out with her new friend? She had had a good time so far.

"This is a bad idea," the bluette then replied. "But…"

"Hey, Tatsuki," said Ushio. "I don't mean to force you into anything… I just want to do my part to help you, if you get what I mean. Besides, I like hanging out with you, you know."

Tatsuki's heart skipped a little. So the dirt-blonde simply wished to spend more time with her? That was sweet, coming from the tomboy.

"Won't you reconsider?"

"There's nothing to reconsider," the bluette stated and – seeing her friend's expression become somber – she smiled. "Because I have made up my mind; let's spend some more time together, Makunouchi-san."

While Tatsuki was still reluctant about her decision, the smile that curved the tomboy's lips ensured her that she wouldn't regret it. In fact, Ushio hadn't looked this happy… well, ever. She could smile, or grin, even laugh, but this expression was different, and surprising. And it made the bluette's heart beat quickly and her cheeks warm.

And unknown to Tatsuki, Ushio Makunouchi was thinking the same about her.

_**/**_

The following day Tatsuki went to school, as per usual, but in a strange mood, which in itself was odd; she was happy, but mostly puzzled and annoyed over her own puzzlement. Why was this the case again?

_/The dirt-blonde stood in front of her, a smile curving her lips as she leant forward, seemingly saying something but no voice was heard. And then it all faded to white. /_

Right; that was why. Ushio had appeared in the bluette's dreams, but the latter couldn't remember what it was about or even why – then again, if you were to ask ten people, you'd get ten different interpretations – but it had happened. Tatsuki had decided to not dwell on it, yet she couldn't _stop_ thinking about it.

_´Why would I dream about Makunouchi-san?´_ she pondered. _´And why don't I remember what it was?´_

Lost in her thoughts as she was, Tatsuki startled when her phone suddenly emitted a chime. She fished it up from her pocket –

"Makunouchi-san?"

Speak of the devil; the tomboy had texted her.

_Morning, Tatsuki_

_I hope you haven't forgotten what we talked about yesterday. I'm waiting for you at our usual spot – as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing you can't catch up with later in school today!_

_Hope to see you in a bit._

_-Ushio_

…

Tatsuki stared blankly at the message. Her brow then furrowed and she let out a tired groan. Ushio was certainly eager to "help" her, wasn't she?

Was this really a good idea?

…

Well, no. But again, once in a while wouldn't hurt, as long as there was nothing special going on at school. And the bluette _had_ promised…

Tatsuki came to a halt as she looked up from her phone; the school gates were just a stone's throw away. Her morality told her not to skip classes, but she **did** promise her friend that she would make at least one exception and, as the bell began ringing, the blue-haired girl had to make a quick decision.

She spotted Ayumi jogging over to the gates with Torako and Suzume in tow. They hadn't noticed her. The school bell rang a bit louder.

…

_**/**_

"Well, well," Ushio commented with a slight grin. "I can't believe it. I didn't think you would actually show up."

"Neither did I," Tatsuki replied. "But here I am."

"Yeah… And that makes me happy." The tomboy's grin widened. "Let's head to the super market or something. I want to buy something to eat."

The bluette stared puzzlingly at her. "I thought we met up at the café for a reason."

"**That** was the reason," said the dirt-blonde. "It's a place we both know the location of. The café doesn't open until an hour or so."

Oh. That's right.

Tatsuki managed a smile of her own. "If we are merely walking around until they open, could we perhaps go window-shopping?"

Ushio shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, whatever, I mean… If you want to, we might as well, yeah?"

"Thank you, Makunouchi-san."

"…You know…" The tomboy fell silent and rubbed her neck. "About that… You can just call me by my name. ´Makunouchi-san´ makes me sound old. We're close enough friends, right? I mean, fuck, I even called you by your name before we even hung out…"

"If you're fine with it, then I'd be happy to oblige, Ushio," Tatsuki replied, surprised at how much her classmate beamed at that, but it made her smile as well.

Seeing her friend smile like that already made up for not going to school today.

_**/**_

"Oh, that's kind of cute!" Tatsuki exclaimed. The duo had decided to take the route through the most common stores and shops in the city – specifically, for Tatsuki, the clothes shops – and so far, it had been an activity mostly for the bluette, as the tomboy didn't seem to care much for them, save for the occasional hoodie or jeans.

Ushio glanced at the newest object of her classmate's attention; it was a blue dress with white flower patterns on.

_´Looks girly,´_ she thought, but if Tatsuki was to wear it…

…

"I'd probably look good on you," Ushio then said without thinking, catching herself right after those words left her mouth. Her blue-haired friend looked back at her, probably thinking that she had meant something weird with that and –

"You think so? The price isn't too bad, so I might keep it in mind," said Tatsuki with a smile and – was she _blushing_? "Thank you, Ushio."

The dirt-blonde avoided her gaze and scratched her cheek. "…You're welcome, I guess."

Her classmate merely giggled and went on. "I believe I've seen enough for one day. Is there anything you wish to show me? Helping me _"kick back and relax"_ as you put it?"

The tomboy chuckled and flashed a grin. "Yeah, you just leave it to me."

_**/**_

"A game center?" The bluette eyed her friend, unimpressed. "Is this what you do when you're not in school?"

"Sometimes," Ushio replied. "When I'm in the mood. It'll be fun, I promise."

"I didn't bring any money."

"I've got enough change to last us a little while. You'll get into it." The dirt-blonde looked around and smirked. "Let's try that one. Even you can't say no to claw-machines."

"I bet I can," Tatsuki stated, arms crossed over her chest. "You barely win in these things."

"Not with that attitude you won't, Tatsuki." The tomboy gently grabbed her classmate by the arm and pulled her along to the claw-machine. "I'm here to teach you, aren't I? You're skipping classes, might as well give this a try. Humour me."

A sigh. "Very well."

"Great!" Ushio inserted a few coins and made room for her friend. "Go ahead."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and began. The machine worked as one would've thought; the claw was slow, clumsy, and pushed the stuffed animals aside – who would've thought that Ushio would play something like this – rather than actually grabbing them.

Then again, that one animal in the corner looked cute. It resembled an eastern-style dragon only smaller and was adorable rather than scary with its blue-and-green scales.

She aimed the claw over to it. It was perfectly centred above it – there was no way it wouldn't be able to grab it. Tatsuki lowered the claw and –

…

Of course it only pushed the dragon deeper into the mass of stuffed animals. The bluette sighed. "Just my luck."

"That's how they make money on these things," Ushio commented and grinned. "Wanna try again?"

Hmph. "Just one more try, and then I call it quits. That dragon isn't worth the time."

**x.x.x**

Tatsuki forcibly suppressed the urge to shout. The claw had to be rigged; how else could it **not** do the one thing it was designed for?! The stuffed-dragon was right there, too!

"Shit… That's the face of determination if I ever saw one," Ushio commented. "I thought you said that the stuffed animal wasn't worth the time?"

"I almost have it," the bluette replied. "Just one more try…"

"This is your eleventh attempt, Tatsuki."

A weary sigh escaped the bluette's lips; she probably looked foolish right now. With shoulders slumped, Tatsuki stepped away from the claw-machine, her face contorted with resentment and embarrassment.

"Hey, cheer up," her classmate said. "The café should be open by now; why don't we grab something to drink and, in your case, calm down?"

Tatsuki managed a smile. Coffee sounded good. "…Yes, let's."

The tomboy smirked. "Great! Just, give me a minute and wait outside. I need to visit the restroom."

The bluette nodded and headed outside. The weather was nice with few clouds and the sun perched high above, but the occasional breezed cooled her off. With such lovely weather outside, it'd be a shame to end up trapped inside, face stuck in textbooks.

Tatsuki smiled at the thought; she would definitely have to buy Ushio something as thanks for today. Rigged claw-machines aside, this had been a good day so far, thanks to the tomboy.

_´Yes,´_ she mused. _´If I hadn't let Ushio convince me, I wouldn't be here right now, enjoying the weather or have fun with her.´_

Her heart skipped a happy little beat.

_Ushio…_

That's right; if Ushio hadn't convinced her yesterday – or, if they hadn't met at the café that time – none of this would've happened. They would've remained classmates who didn't talk to one another and, in Tatsuki's case, she would have labelled the blonde as a delinquent whom she shouldn't associate herself with.

She was glad to have been proven wrong. As strange as it sounded, she couldn't imagine herself not being friends with the girl now that they had spent so much time together.

"Oi, what are you daydreaming about?" the aforementioned tomboy called out, startling Tatsuki. "Shall we get going?"

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as Tatsuki desperately tried to calm herself (why was she even flustered to begin with?) and she spun around. "Y-Yes, my apologies, I was merely –"

Her voice trailed off. Her eyes caught sight of something small and blue in Ushio's hand and the bluette's heartrate suddenly spiked.

"U-Ushio… That's…"

The tomboy averted her classmate's gaze – was she **blushing**? "Yeah…You seemed like you really wanted it, so I gave it a try, so… well, here."

The bluette gratefully accepted the small animal and observed joyfully; in her hands was the same blue-and-green dragon she had tried to catch earlier.

_/ "That's Ushio Makunouchi! She looks like a delinquent… Scary…"/_

"Ushio…" Tatsuki managed. "Did you really went out of your way to get this for me?"

"W-Well… You looked really depressed and angry when you had to quit, so I gave it a chance on my way back. I guess I got lucky."

_/ "I bet she has a baseball bat in her locker in case someone gets on her nerves… Don't make eye-contact with her, or she'll mess you up!"/_

"This… This is very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Ushio!"

"…Don't mention it."

_/ "She's apparently a classmate of ours! That's scary… I can't believe we out of all classes has to deal with her!/_

"Anyway, we should get going…"

"Yes…" the bluette replied, admiring the dragon for a moment. Her friend must've been very lucky indeed, considering that the stuffed animal was basically pushed into a corner –

…

"Ushio," Tatsuki began. "You lied about going to the restroom, didn't you?"

The tomboy stopped for a moment. "I told you, I tried the claw-machine once on my way back."

The bluette chuckled. "If you say so."

"I do say so!"

_/ "I bet she's a lone-wolf; she looks like someone who only cares about herself. It'll be troublesome for us…"/_

The bluette smiled at the girl beside her. The rumours she had heard, the people in her class talking about the blonde, they were all wrong. Ushio Makunouchi wasn't like that at all.

But then again, none of them knew Ushio as well as Tatsuki.

_**/**_

"Are you sure about it, Ushio? I can always skip coffee for today."

"We're friends, aren't we?" the dirt-blonde replied. "And it's not like you have any money on you, so let me treat you to some coffee already… Although I still don't understand how you can drink it."

"You should try it sometime," said the bluette. "It's good."

"Tch. If you say so."

Tatsuki smirked. "I _do_ say so."

Ushio merely gave her a knowing grin as she sat herself down and sipped on the ice-tea. "Man, I'm glad I didn't go today. I can't stand Torako!"

Her classmate gently sipped on her coffee. "That's abundantly clear."

The blonde groaned. "Look, sorry, I just… Fuck! She's clingy as hell!"

"Perhaps a bit vulgar way to phrase it, but my sentiments exactly," Tatsuki responded. "You think she is still trying to find someone to go karaoke with her?"

"If not, then she's trying to drag the others out for something else – always something going on with her." She fell silent for a moment, her expression gentler compared to a few seconds ago. "And it's not just her – school in general just doesn't suit me."

The bluette glanced over at her. "What do you mean by that?"

A sigh. "I don't know… I feel like I'm just wasting time there. I can't bring myself to care about the subjects and with Torako and Nene around, I feel like I'm about to explode. I can't fucking put up with them! It's because of situations like that that I'm used to ditching school, you know."

"I suppose I can understand; Kageyama-san's talent for annoying people and our own class-president on the verge of sexually harassing us isn't exactly the school-life I had hoped for either." She drank some more coffee and chuckled. "But at least I'm a good reason to show up, since we're in the same class, no?"

It had been meant as a joke, and yet, as soon as Ushio replied –

"Yeah… Seeing you, and hanging out with you, is a good reason to show up."

-the air between them seemed… awkward. Tatsuki swore that she only imagined it, but were her cheeks suddenly hot?

"…I was somewhat joking," she admitted, the silence almost killing her. "…But thanks. I appreciate your honesty; if you weren't in the same class – or school for that matter – I would probably be thinking about changing schools. Or at least class… Because of Kageyama-san."

"…Thanks, Tatsuki. I appreciate your honesty as well."

What was it with this weird atmosphere? While Tatsuki couldn't tell what was going on in Ushio's head, she was certain that the blonde felt just like her: embarrassed, confused, and yet…

_Happy._

"Say, Ushio…" the bluette began, and her eyes locked with her friend's. "If you don't mind, could we do this again sometime? And then it'll be _my_ treat."

There it was again; that smile, that radiant expression, curved Ushio's lips. "Like hell I would mind that! In fact, I'm looking forward to next time!"

The girls shared a knowing smile, their hearts flip-flopping inside their chests.

"As do I, Ushio," Tatsuki replied. "As do I."

_**/**_

"I guess the others are on their way back home by now," Tatsuki mentioned as she stared at her wristwatch. "We should be going, too."

The dirt-blonde frowned at that. "There's still plenty of time before it's evening, you know."

"As much as I would love to spend the rest of the afternoon with you, I plan to attend school tomorrow," the bluette replied with a smile. "Hopefully I'll see you there."

"Yeah…" The tomboy smirked. "We'll see each other tomorrow."

"I have to thank you for today," Tatsuki added. "For showing me around… I had fun."

"More fun than reading books?" Ushio playfully sneered.

"Did I have more fun? Yes, yes I did." Tatsuki chuckled. "But only by a small marginal."

"Hmph. I'll just have to do better next time then."

The girls shared a laugh at that. It was almost absurd just how close they had gotten over these past few weeks but more specifically today.

And yet, it felt right. It was certainly fun, and neither of them dwelled on it for long. Why would they?

"You know," the tomboy began. "You should probably start thinking of a cover-story."

"I'll just say that I didn't feel well and stayed home," said Tatsuki as she tucked a few loose locks behind her ear. "That will be enough."

Her classmate nodded. "I suppose. It just occurred to me that our fucking class-president is probably gonna poke around and make it seem like we were on a date or something."

Tatsuki's heart throbbed. A date? That's ridiculous! Of course the redhead would change the situation into one of her fantasies – she always did!

…

So why did the thought make her…happy? Was that the right word?

"Hey, Tatsuki," Ushio suddenly called out and disrupted the bluette's train of thought. "Wanna do something incredibly cheesy?"

Tatsuki arched an eyebrow, puzzled. "That depends on what that ´something´ is."

The dirt-blonde jerked her thumb towards a nearby purikura, stationed near the game center they had visited earlier, and the bluette chuckled. "I'm not opposed to taking a few pictures with you."

"Great," Ushio replied. "Let's get to it, then."

The purikura booth was just as one would imagined; cramp and perhaps not the freshest one around. Nevertheless, the girls sat down (and very close to each other, too) and the tomboy went ahead and got everything started. The machine went on –

"It's rather cramp in here, isn't it?" Tatsuki commented. Her friend was just a movement or two away from sitting on her lap.

"Had I known, I wouldn't have suggested this," she said. "Fuck, I'm getting your hair in my face!"

-and Ushio inserted the coins and started the process. She shifted uncomfortably.

"It's not my fault you decided to sit so close to me," Tatsuki replied with a smile.

"I'm already sitting on the edge, I can't exactly move away! And I need to sit close enough to be in the fucking frame anyway."

"I wasn't exactly complaining."

"Yes, well, neither was I."

"Good."

"Good!"

A small light went off, indicating that it was time to strike a pose. The girls sat up straight, arms touching.

"One time isn't enough," the bluette said. "…Thank you so much for today, Ushio. I had fun."

"…Me too," the blonde replied. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

"I couldn't agree more."

…

…

"This is silly," Tatsuki then said. "But should we make a funny one, just for laugh –"

Silence. Everything seemed to come to a halt, if only for a moment, but it felt like an eternity. One movement, an abruptly ended gasp, and the feeling of something wetted and soft pressed against her. Heat rushed to milky white cheeks and the sound of rapidly pumped blood echoed in her ears.

…

Shock, confusion, embarrassment, and grief reflected in hazel eyes.

"Shit… L-Look, I'm sorry –!"

Fight or flight. Tatsuki, in her moment of disarray, shoved her friend out of the way and ran; she ran, as fast as her legs could manage. Everything became a blur around her, her mind blank and voice weak.

It wasn't until she had returned home, shoes kicked off in the hallway, and slammed her bedroom door behind her. A concerned housemaid desperately tried to get the girl's attention, but her voice was drowned out from the sound of Tatsuki's heart.

Her heart; –she held a hand over her breast – her heart wouldn't slow down.


End file.
